Here is what I find entertaining. Many people talk about the importance of music in free blogs or at other times. A couple people have expressed, even, how some songs really cause them to think if they listen to the lyrics. I decide to put a song (yes, a bit cheezy) into the blog not so you can ridicule the song (which many did) but to think about what the song means. I have friends who are in bands and who write music and they state that one of the most irritating thing is that people do not think about lyrics enough before they ridicule a song. I just thought it funny that people were so into the cheese factor of the song that they could not get passed it to the music. What if that was my taste in music? Would that make me a bad person or some loser who does not like the same music as some of you? How judgemental especially for those who say that music is the chance to allow us to really have our own individual choices of what we like.
For this evening, listen to this song and tell me what you think they are saying and how the topic effects you or your community. May also be a bit cheesy so if there is a song you would like people to reflect on that is appropriate then write it on a piece of paper and maybe it will end up here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZtiJN6yiik
28 comments:
Houghtaling
what a classic. the issue here is race, and it is a very common topic. like the thought that one race is superior to another. this is redisulous, racism gets us nowhere. the message of the song is just get along.sure people judge eachother. and diversity is a common issue. my dad has told me, because he ernt to a segregated school. it was just common life back then everyone did it. once people took a stand like mlk did, it changes and opens up the minds of others. people such that of george washington carver helped further to tear down the wall of segregation with his knowledge. if our cultures could live in harmony as they say, we would all be better. i still feel that s we are today, it is still somewhat segregated. dont judge by the skin, but what they believe in is what i get out of it.
this song is indeed "cheezy", but its understandable because you are mr.kay so i guess its ok for u to listen to this sorta music. what Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder are trying to say is that race doesnt matter. people should accept people for who they are, not what they are. the way this accects our community is like the blackrace movement. i personaly dont have a problem with black people. to me they are just like you and me. unless someone makes me mad for some reason i usually dont have a problem with them. but this affects our community because the black race movement was so that blacks could have jobs, and have the same rights as everyone else. i dotn think they should have been trated any differently in the first place. they are human just like you and me.
While I can't say I like this style of music, I appreciate it. And I think Paul is incredible. I think that this song is saying that two completely different things should be able to co-exist in harmony and peace. Honestly though, I don't think it will happen. People always make judgments of others, and discrimination against say, gays, will always exist. I think that people can be judgmental about what other people listen to. I'll be honest, I am. I won't go in to detail, but I do form an opinion on someone based on what they listen to. I'm only human after all.
Cody Dykes
This song is clearly about how blacks and white people can live together. This was a really big issue when it came out and is still today. This is not a big issue were i live in, i don't think there are any that live in my neighbor hood if i think about it. But I honestly don't think it would make a difference. I totally agree with the idea of black and whites together. I dislike super racist, i don't what the big deal is. The only difference is skin color, it's retarded. The song wasn't to bad or cheesy, it sang good.
For this evening, listen to this song and tell me what you think they are saying and how the topic effects you or your community.
What a great hit. The song is saying that people that are completely different should be able to coexist. The song is also about race. That black people and white people should all get along. Even though I agree with this i dont think that it will ever happen. There is still to much racism in the world. Even in this school i hear a lot of it. Even though sometimes they might be kidding. It effects the community because everybody should be mature and be able to get along no matter what kind of person they are.
Although this song is very cheesy there is alot of meaning in the lyrics. I think this song is saying that all people are the same no matter what race or color they are. This song says that all people should live in harmony together because there is good and bad in everyone. This effects the community because we live in a diverse area and we need to not be racist or judge a person based on there color. Although we are getting better about excepting people of diffrent races, there are still some people who arnt very accepting. This song is promoting that all people are equal and should be treated that way.
Wooo that song is going on my ipod. The lyrics of the song are trying to tell us that even though every one is different acceptance and coexistence are the keys in life. This song isn’t really just talking about blacks and whites but all ethnicities and religions. In today’s society I don’t feel that it is as pressing of an issue then in past societies. Here in the United States it is the mix of races and cultures that we have the diversity we have. The entire community is affected by racism. Even today you can find people who are racists. This affects the entire community. I think people should show good judgment and morals and view people by who they are and not what ethnicity or color they are.
It was kinda cheessy but had a message in the lyrics. I think the song is saying that two different races should get along. Black and white should be able to get along. We shouldnt judge eachother just because the color of our skin. This does effect the community because theres still some people who are raciest. Which i think its dumb, people the only difference is the color of our skin. people need to get over it. everyone should be treated the same.
if it wasent for the cheesy video that went with it i wouldnt have had to watch it the second time, btw there was no torture on this end (remember Americans don't do that sort of thing so keep it on the down low). Also i had to watch it for the second time because i kept thinking that paul was rambo, i was very confused. ok, so what i think they are saying is that no matter what color you are ebony or ivory we could live in perfict harmony. in which i think they tryed to recreate with some good(?) music and a video with Stevie and Paul singing togeather. By any chance was this created when there was some tough times between two social classes or what? I also think your right when you said that people are quick to say they don't like a song before they get a chance to understand what the lyrics really mean just becaus e the music aspect of the song is cheesey.
The is a classic, but the video is kind of weird. It looks like Stevie Wonder and Paul MCcartney are about to make love. Im not criticizing anyone that likes listening to music like this. You listen to what you like and shouldn't have to worry about other peoples opinouns. I think this song is trying to get the point across that everyone is equal no matter what race you are. It is telling us not to judge people without knowing them. Get to know the person because you never know, they could end up being your best friend. I don't really think we have to deal with a racism issue at our school or anywhere in our community. This suject has fated out in our area. It was a problem for past generations but not for us. Southern cities have this topic come up more often because the South wanted slaves and it hasn't fated out yet. Most people see each other as equals but unfortunatly there are people that don't.
If i were in your shoes, an educated man, I wouldnt hold such value in the words of kids who think that screamo sounds good. Ebony and ivory is definitely a classic, a symbol of peace and unity. It is, however, pretty dry. One of the things i thought while watching the video was: "Why is stevie wonder throwing open curtains?" I then went back, and it was not stevie wonder. It was none other than paul mccartney of the beatles. This song affects (note the A) my community in that it shows different skin colors living harmoniously side-by-side. We have some of that in this school.
Finally, I would like to give you a link to a song. I am not asking you to post this in the next blog, just to watch it and appreciate it as we have appreciated your musical homework list.
I'm not for sure but I believe this song is talking about how people can be so rude to each other. Another thing they talk about is how no matter where you life you will find the same type of people. All they are basically saying is that people just need to learn to live together and not fight among each other. They say they people need to live in harmony and not fight about things that make no sense. They were talking about different types of people being at peace and not just because they live next to each other but to be happy that they are where they are. I actually appreciate this song, not because I listen to this type of music but by the way they talk about having people getting alone in the same places. In my neighborhood people need to just start living in harmony because lately people have changed the neighborhood into something that is not, like bring gangs and their violence into it. We don't need that type of violence in a small place like this, people just need to get over the fact that we are not living in Detroit and take their gang violence somewhere else.
this song isn't just about "black people and white people getting along"
it's about anyone that is different, and how they can get along peacefully.
i'm sorry, but it pisses me off to see that people only see racism as when a White person fails to get along with a Black person, but if the opposite is true, it's just accepted.
equality will never truly be realized, i would suggest that everybody stop living in a fantasy world.
The issue in this song is race. It is trying to say how both blacks and whites can get along together just fine. The song was written back a while ago. It more of a deal back then when it wasn't common for white and black men to be friends. Although it's not as big, people seem to segregate without even thinking. If noone cared about the color of someone elses skin the world would be a better place. Even though I don't like this type of music, I can't help but respect this song.
For this evening, listen to this song and tell me what you think they are saying and how the topic effects you or your community. May also be a bit cheesy so if there is a song you would like people to reflect on that is appropriate then write it on a piece of paper and maybe it will end up here.
Ok Paul McCartny dosnt have one bad song ahd is the shit! I think they are trying to say that it dosnt matter what you look like its whats on the inside that counts. Just because someone is a diferent race or jender it dosnt mean they are a bad person. Every one has the potential to do good or bad, one race isnt better than the other. All races have good and bad people. We whouldnt judege people because of the coller they are. For example, when 911 happend, all the Muslems were looked at differently. Not all of thoes people are bad and pland that attack. But that is how the U.S. looked at it. I think that the U.S. is the biggest comforming Country in the world. The U.S. wants every one to think like we do, and if they dont they are wrong. For example when the mishinarys came to Okonkwo's vilig and said their beliefs were wrong and they needed to believe in there god. That their gods were fake, and if they didnt comform they would go to hell. Now that is wrong to tell some one that their beliefs are wrong and to stop believing in them, whos to say our beliefs are wrong? What if we were told that our beliefs were wrong. Put that in your pipe and smoke it Mr.Kay I just murderd your blog :P lol jk
this song is about race. i think it would be about blacks and whites. in the song i understude dat blacks and whites can get along and not hate each others. They talked about different type of persons being in peace and to be happy that they are where they are. i dont be likeking the type of song this is. its just nt my type. i dont mind it just because its talking about not hating and to get along. i actully respect the song and artist. i would say we would live alot better if people didnt care about the color of our skins. there woulnt be people killing other people just for the color of the skin. i say not to judge people for the color of the skin but get to kno em and then judge em.
ALan Hernandez
I think that this old song is a great example of how people can get along through anything. I think that it means that even polar opposites can find something in common. It shows that even through the tough times we've had diversity has its weaknesses. I am not to big of this style of music and but i do think that its message is very strong. After getting a kick out of "your friends" i have nothing else to add on that songs topic. For music in general, i think we have done this blog twice now, i think it is a great way for us to express who we are. Music is very personal to most of us and alot of us hate when you criticise what we listen too. I recently started to listen to the acctuall lyrics of the songs i listen to and i have to say that it makes the overall song 100% more enjoyable if the lyrics are good.
This song means that their are good and bad things. In the community We all have to live together and work together. Just like on a sports team. The team has to work together in order to win. It doesn't matter if you are white, black, male, female,skinny, fat, straight or gay everyone are pink on the inside. Everyone is equal and should be working together as a group to make one harmonious community. Because Jesus loves us all the same.
ha classic selection mr kay. I happen to think this is one of most inspiring collabarations in the music industry. Here there is this period in time in which everyone is segregated no matter wearther you white, black, brown, blue.. And out of it comes a duet between Stevie Wonder(amazing) and Paul McCartney(equally amazing), and they sing about nothing other than equality! This is something that until now no one has cared about. This song does not only speak about the seperation between blacks and whites, but about the seperation between two humans. race, color, religion everything is what this song is reefering to and how we should treat every person we meat with equality. and by the butters you are so toast tommorw.
The song comes out on the issue of racism. Not going to lie i didnt find the song all so great but yours and mine opions are different. This topic of race is a very important part of our society. This song indicates this issue by how people shouldnt hate eachother omong there skin color but that everybody should just get along. I as well as my family are no what close to racists but we as well as others know of those people that are. My father has told me a while back that he grew up in detroit and his best friend was of the african american race. this shows even though back then when this topic was huge people still respected them. People shouldnt judge you on your color of your skin and also not your type of music. People as well as my self need to work on judgeing things. Like the famus quote by idk "Dont judge a book by its cover." Everbody should treat the people the way that you want to be treated.
I agree with many of my peer's posts. This song is evidently about race and how we are all one and the same. When McCartney says that he and Stevie are neighbors and really the same, it means just that. I play piano, so tis song is especially evident. In many of the songs I love to play, the song doesn't sound goo without both the black and white keys. While many songs may use just one or the other, the songs that sound the best always use a mixture of both. Take that as a metaphor for humanity. We are at our best when we accept ourselves and our neighbors and work together to create the music of unity. Besides, racism in my eyes is just one people's insecurities justifying the hatred of another people's. People need to feel superiour, and when they don't, they turn against a group they see as less superiour. The sad thing is, while many people state the United States is a giant melting pot, as someone who isn't American culturally (1st-generation to experience "American" culture in my family) I don't always see an accepting society. Kirk's comment about the 9/11 incident and subsequent treatment of anyone who identifies themselves as Muslim or Middle-Eastern is a perfect example. That specific group of people were shunned for something radicals did. Why is it we don't shun members of the radical Pentecostal Church the same way? Is it because they're "American"? Well then, what is an "American"? Is it someone who lives in the United States of America? Is it someone who pledges their allegiance to a flag? Or perhaps is being "American" nothing more than the ideal of unity? Too bad that people are more ready to judge others than to judge their own preconceptions. In that case, none of us are American.
I actually have heard of this song! haha. Anyway the topic that the song is talkin bout is race. I think what they are sayin is that everybody should live together peacefully. When i first moved here i saw a lot of confederate flags and the first thing i think of when i see a confederate flag is that those people want slaves. Now i dont see as many as i use to. I think everybody should live in peace but i know that will probably never happen. If it did it would be a BIG chanhge to the world.
First of all i want to say that your choice in music does not make you a bad a person. Everyone is untilted to their own opinon. Muisc is a universal human expirince. Its something that brings all together. I belive that this song is saying that we cna all live in peace if we try. We maybe blck or white but it shouldn't matter. Keys on painos live together so why shouldn't we? We need to put aside hate for on another and see that just becasue the color or our skin is different that we are all the same. Its not a bad song just very bad music compostion.
This is a cheesy song but its also a classic and has a very strong message to it. What Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder are saying is that race doesn't matter. We were all created equal and even though many people are racist we should be treated equal. When they say Ebony they mean black people and when they say Ivory they mean white people. They say that black and white people should live together without any problems. We should all live peacefully without racism. But unfortunately some people are racist and can't get past a persons color. Some of the greatest people were black. Such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. If we didn't have those people we would still be separted. White people don't always give black people enough credit. They don't like them because of their skin color. The color of your skin doesn't matter. What matters is whats on the inside. This topic effects me because I go to school with both white and black people. Some of my friends are even different skin colors than me. It effects my community because it shows that black people and white people can live together in the same environment. A lot of people were and still are skepticle that President Obama isn't going to do anything good for our country. This is only because of his skin color. If he wasn't black then more people would have faith in him. This country is too focused on the color of people's skin to care about what they have to say!
First of all, I think the origin of the song is almost equally as important as the content of the song. The previous song wasn't written in the same vein as commercial radio songs. And as a result, the lyrics should not only be considered alone, but in the context of Rent. As for this song, it's using a piano's black and white keys as a metaphor for different races living side by side. While this isn't my preferred style of music either, I think it has a very respectable message. I feel the point of the song is the message, not necessarily the musical content as much. As for what is "cheesy", I think sincerity is often mistaken for cheesiness and that could cause a of lot of people to overlook songs with provocative meanings just because they're different from what they normally listen to. I think if you really appreciate music you should be able to look at it objectively, not just from your own personal taste all the time.
so yeah i forgot to post the link up for the video i was going to show you. http://thetravisty.com/Saturday_Night_Live/wmv/Ebony_and_Ivory.htm
Ebony and Ivory. Why didn't you just say hey everyone talk about the song ebony and ivory? Eeeeebony, Iiiiiiivory, living in perfect harmony. Everyone knows of that song. What the song is trying to say is that we're all the same. Skin color should never matter. We are all still human, and just because we have different skin colors doesn't mean we shouldn't get along. African American, Caucasian, Latino, Oriental, Middle-Eastern, just because we have different skin colors doesn't mean that we all don't share the feelings that life brings to us. We all become sad, happy, have emotion no matter what color me are. Even today people are still racist and it's sad. Maybe in the past I hope this song broke a lot of tension between the blacks and the whites without them feeling different or badly about it. I hope this song changed a lot of minds.
Stevie Wonder is amazing, and, though Paul McCartney is my least favorite of the Beatles, he is indeed a great songwriter. From this song, I get that two almost opposite things should be able to exist peacefully. It's a long shot, though. The song's message is great, but it's unrealistic. People will stereotype, prejudge, and discriminate against others forever. It doesn't change. To live in a morally corrupt-less world would be amazing, but there is just too much bad in the world for the good to completely counteract. I'm also to blame here, as I judge others based on what they wear, who they associate with, what their reputation is, and such.
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